Delegation Without Comprehension: AI Mediated Discovery and the Erosion of Human Epistemic Agency

AbstractArtificial intelligence has shifted from a supplementary analytical tool to a core epistemic infrastructure indomains characterized by extreme data scale and complexity. This paper examines how AImediateddiscovery alters the sequence of scientific inquiry, redistributing epistemic agency and introducinginterpretive latency between machine perception and human understanding. Rather than framing risk interms of domination or replacement, the analysis identifies abdication—delegation without sustainedcomprehension—as the central concern. By distinguishing technical mechanisms from mythic and symbolicresponses, the paper argues for interpretive stewardship as a necessary human orientation in acceleratedsystems.